A New Perspective
by The Unmemorable One
Summary: It's summer and it seems like just about everyone is busy, except for one boy with amethyst hair. Amu is excited to hang out, but she may get more than she bargained for. Will Nagihiko tell her the truth about Nadeshiko? Or maybe about something else?
1. Chapter 1

**Yay, its my second fanfic. So I have decided my next couple stories will just be about different pairings that I thought would have been cute, even though I love all of the current pairings to death. So here is my first installment of the couples-that-shy-away-from-the-norm, but-are-still –really-adorable stories. *sigh* I'm really hoping I am better at writing the actual stories than I am at intros because mine are pretty darn lame, ah well. Once again, enjoy and thanks for your time. **

**DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA OR ANYTHING PEACH-PIT RELATED.**

**Chapter 1: To the Supermarket!**

**Amu POV**

It was summer. We had graduated with our heads held high as we entered a whole new era of our young lives. We hated to leave Yaya and the new guardian apprentices behind, but we knew they would be just fine, and there was no doubt we would see a lot of each other over the summer. Although Yaya could get be a little stubborn and babyish at times, she had come really far and was growing into a responsible caretaker. Kuukai even paid us all a visit and wished us all good luck in the future. It was a sad, yet exciting day.

Even though it was summer, it still seemed as if the guardians had never parted, we spent time together every week. Time together never got old, there was always some new place to go and they never ceased to surprise me with their crazy antics and things they had to say.

It was quite a few weeks into our summer break now and people were starting to get busier.

**Amu POV**

"I'm really sorry Amu-chan, maybe next week we can hang out?" asked Rima with sincerity in her voice.

"Yeah, definitely" I replied. I tried to sound happy, things had been going well despite her parents being divorced, they were getting along a little better, but I couldn't help but feel disappointed. She wasn't the first one to cancel on me today.

"Next week it is then. Well I have to go, but I will text you later ok? See ya." She said.

"All right. Later." Exasperated, I shut my phone and fell backwards onto my bed.

Hmm, so it seemed that Yaya, Tadase, Kuukai, Utua, Rikka, Hikaru, and now Rima were all busy. That was just my luck. I had one option left and I really hoped he wasn't busy. I felt like I would be sucked into the abyss of extreme boredom if I didn't get out of the house soon. I searched through my contacts until I found Nagihiko's number and I gave him a call.

"Hello Amu-chan." He said in his sanguine tone of voice. I couldn't help but smile when he answered.

"Hey. You wouldn't happen to have any free time at the moment, would you? Sorry about asking so suddenly, I'm just a bit bored. Haha." I laughed. I eagerly anticipated his response; if he wasn't available I don't know what I would do.

"Don't worry about it, and I do actually. I was just about to step out and pick up some ingredients for a dessert I wanted to try out. Nadeshiko actually gave me the recipe for this one. So do you want to go shopping with me? Afterwards you can come over and help me make it if you would like."

"So you like baking too, huh? You two get more similar by the second. But, that sounds great! I will meet you at your house in 15 minutes. See you then." I said with an audible smile.

"All right, I'll be waiting. Bye." He replied. Freedom at last from the clutches of my empty schedule, I felt giddy with excitement. Quite a few days had passed where I had been nothing more than your typical couch potato. TV could only hold my attention for so long. I stepped out of the house wearing a cute pink skull shirt with a black long sleeved cardigan and a ruffled black skirt. I was also sporting a pair of pink mary janes and a black rubber band that held my high pony tail in place.

When I arrived at Nagihiko's house I rang the door bell and waited for him to come to the door. While I waited I fiddled with the settings on my phone until I became so absorbed that Nagihiko's soft greeting made me jump and almost drop my phone.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He chuckled when he saw my jumbled facial expression. I looked up to see the purple haired boy dressed casually in a light white v-neck, some olive cargo shorts , and some white sneakers with an olive stripe running across their side.

"I-i'm fine. Sh-should we go then?" I stammered and laughed nervously. I felt the blood rise to me cheeks, how embarrassing.

"Mmhmm. Let's go" He said as he began to lead me in the direction of the supermarket.

**So? This is written in Amu's POV for now, but I think I may change it up to Nagi's POV sometimes, but my indecisive self hasn't decided yet, I don't even know where this is going really, but I hope its somewhere exciting! Yeah, and I also realized it's waaaaay easier to write stories without charas, so I guess I will just leave out the shugo charas from shugo chara. Doesn't that just make a whole lot of sense? Ahaha. Well, I don't know how long this will be, or how and where it will end, so I guess you will have to read to find out! Tata, for that is all.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2: To Nagihiko's House!**

**Amu POV**

"Lemon meringue pie, huh? I've never tried it, but I'm sure it will be good if Nadeshiko suggested it." I told him as he scanned the list of ingredients for the dessert.

"Ah, here it is." He said when he found the cornstarch and placed it in the shopping basket he was carrying. "Yeah, I uh, I haven't either, but she did say it was pretty tasty…" he trailed off and stared into space.

"So…how is she, Nadeshiko, is she doing well? It's been so long since I've talked to her…" I asked. It really had been a long time. I tried not to think about how long it had been and just stay hopeful that she would come back, but it proved to be difficult with her carbon copy standing right in front of me. I cared for both of the Fujisaki twins equally, but sometimes I just felt a little incomplete without her around. She was my first best friend and we had a special bond that could never just dissolve away.

"Hmm? Oh, she's doing great. She said she misses everyone a lot though. She really wants to see us again soon, she really hopes she can…" he relayed to me softly. I swear I could hear a melancholy ring in his voice. He response seemed a little odd, like he was partly musing to himself when I had brought him out of his reverie with my question. I bet he missed her just as much as I did, if not a lot more.

"Well that's good to hear. If you speak to her again could you tell her I said hello and I wished her good luck? And that I really miss her…?" I said. I could feel my throat getting a bit tight on the last couple words. The distance between us was really taking its toll on me, but I knew it was for the best. She was pursuing her dream and I was going to support her to the best of my ability, no matter the cost. It was the least I could do, she had helped me through a lot, and I felt like this way I could sort of pay her back and show my gratitude.

"Y-yeah, sure thing." He said with a weak half smile. "Well we can't just stand around here all day, c'mon Amu-chan, let's go get the other ingredients!" He laughed as he grabbed my hand with his free one and watched the familiar red hue wash over my cheeks in surprise as he directed me to the dairy section.

* * *

"Are you sure you don't want me to carry a bag? I really don't mind." I asked after we had exited the store and Nagihiko had grabbed all of the bags.

"No, it's all right. So anyways, what classes will you be taking next year?"

It continued on like this until we arrived at his house. We kept the conversation going with talk of the future, like what we expected and what Kuukai had told us. We both admitted we were going to be a little scared, but as long as we all had each other, we could persevere. We also reminisced about the past years together. We remembered all the memories we had together in elementary in such great detail that they seemed like they just happened yesterday. We went through a vast array of emotions that paired with the memories, but tried to avoid the more sorrowful ones, so naturally we tried to avoid talking about Nadeshiko anymore for right now.

"Wow, I had forgotten how cool your house is. It's so big." I commented as I ran my eyes over the lengthy wooden wall that hugged the boundary around the Fujisakis' home. Nagihiko had set down the groceries and rang the doorbell. I backed up a bit and stood on my tip toes to get a better look at the house as we waited for someone to answer the door, after all, it wasn't really like my house with a lock and key deal to open the door.

The wall was so high, or maybe I just wasn't that tall, I didn't really know. I could see some the beautiful architecture on most of the roof now. He was so lucky he had a neat house like this. I backed up a bit more and without realizing it, my back foot had slipped off the curb and I was falling.

"Ahh!" I shouted as I fell. I shut my eyes and flailed my arms like a hopeless bird that couldn't fly. Next thing I knew someone caught my hand. It was Nagihiko.

"Now I'm glad I didn't let you carry a bag." he laughed and closed his eyes as he tilted his head and wore a kind smile.

"Hmph." I pouted stubbornly. It's not like I was always that clumsy, I just…I wasn't paying attention is all. My face felt hot for the second time today due to the warmth of his gentle hand. I had to admit, he had a pretty nice smile as well, it was comforting.

Just then the door opened to show the smiling visage of Nagihiko's mother. She dressed in an exquisite salmon colored kimono that had been adorned with delicate white lilies. The soft waves in her amethyst hair were gathered into a graceful updo.

"Nice to see you again Amu." she said smiling. She was so pretty; you could definitely see a lot of her in the twins.

"L-likewise, thank you for h-having me Mrs. Fujisaki." I stuttered awkwardly with my hand still securely in Nagihiko's. I attempted to casually take my hand out of his, but he didn't let go. I really had to get my hand out of his. It was the calm before the storm; the suspense of awaiting the scrutinizing stare I was surely going to receive had my nerves in a bunch, not to mention my cheeks had deepened in their reddish color.

I was wrong, the stare didn't come, but that fact didn't soothe my nerves.

As she walked toward the house Nagihiko leaned over to pick up the groceries with his free hand, which left us quite a little ways away from her.

"Uh, Nagihiko, my hand? And what is your mom going to think? She totally saw us holding hands! Oh no, this is gonna be so weird!" I shouted as I nearly hyperventilated. I could tell I was kind of freaking out, but this was bad. I feared that she would get the wrong idea. I wished I were an ostrich so I could run away and bury my head in some dirt.

"Amu-chan, just try to calm down. She won't think anything of it anyways, she really likes you and knows you are a good friend. Now we have a pie to make." There he goes with that smile again, and he still didn't release my hand, he just dragged me along towards the house.

"Nagihiko!" I complained as we headed inside.

* * *

**Lock and key reference, aha, I almost wanted to Saaya laugh when I thought about it. There seems to be lots of animal imagery, well, I do love animals after all. And so the story continues… **

**P.S. I still don't own shugo chara.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3: Lemon Meringue Pie and a Home Away From Home!**

**Amu POV**

"Hey Nagihiko? Do you have an apron I can borrow? I guess I forgot my bag that I had put it in…" I really just noticed that now? Today was not my day.

"Clumsy and forgetful…" he whispered and chuckled to himself.

"I heard that you kn-" My irritation-filled sentence was cut short by Nagihiko handing me a folded light pink apron.

"You can use this one, sorry if it's a little big." he said and then went to set up our working station and lay out the ingredients. "I will be right back; I'm going to get another apron. Can you check to see that we have all of the ingredients for me please?" He asked and began walking out of the kitchen.

"No problem. And thanks for the apron." I went down the list of ingredients and sure enough, everything was there. I idly stood around for a bit before I remembered about the apron in my hands. Duh, I should probably put it on. When I unfolded it I noticed the large pocket it had on the abdomen area. After putting my head through the neck loop I found that he was right, it was a little big on me. When I finished tying the strings on the sides I looked again at the large pocket. It seemed to have grown in size when I had actually put on the apron. I imagined myself looking like a kangaroo and having a little Joey in this oversized pocket of mine. The image was so ludicrous I couldn't help but laugh. I was still laughing aloud when Nagihiko had finally returned. Between giggles and gasps for air I somehow explained to him why I was laughing so hard.

"Haha, you're right, it does remind me of a kangaroo!" Soon enough we were both cracking up and gasping for air like fish out of water. I almost died when he hopped like a kangaroo; it was one of the funniest things I have ever seen. Our stomachs were hurting so badly from laughing that we both collapsed to the ground and giggled until we finally regained control of ourselves and wiped the tears from our eyes.

Nagihiko was the first to get up so he gave me hand and helped me up.

"So are ready to make a lemon meringue pie?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so." I answered with a bit of hesitation as I questioned whether my baking skills were up to par.

* * *

It wasn't as hard as I had originally predicted, especially with Nagihiko's help. The kitchen only suffered a few minor spills, which were all my doing, for he did everything with evident skill. Baking was yet another area in which the twins were perfectly matched.

"Would you care to do the honors?" he asked me as he handed me a pair of oven mitts.

"All right." I took the oven mitts from him and put them on before grabbing the door. When it had opened I was blasted by the concentrated aroma of zesty lemon and toasted cream. The enticing smell swirled and danced with the stagnant air until the whole room smelled of our delicious creation. I was captivated. It smelled even better than the tart shell and cookies I had made with his sister so long ago. I eagerly wrapped my covered hands around the pie tin and brought it out of the oven and into the cool air. I set it on the counter and was in awe of its perfect appearance, it looked like something out of a food magazine.

"It looks amazing! Wow." I told the cheerful Nagihiko.

"I knew it would be, but it does look a lot better than I expected. It must be because you helped me make it, Amu-chan." I blushed and he chuckled and smiled at me, his shiny honey eyes were filled with approval. "How about we try it now? I'm dying to know what it tastes like."

"Yeah, me too." I responded.

He cut us both a piece and put them on plates, then handed me a fork.

"Ready?" he asked when we both had gathered a small bite of pie on our forks. "1, 2, 3!" On 3 we both ate of piece together and chewed it in content. It was unlike anything I had ever tasted before. It was lemony and light and delectable. The tartness of the lemon filling and sweetness of the meringue were balanced in perfect harmony. I saw Nagihiko look over at me with a 'so what do you think' kind of expression.

"It's wonderful Nagihiko! It tastes so good!" I assured him excitedly.

"I'm glad you like it." he said with a hint of pride in his cheery tone.

We finished our slices in blissful silence. After we were done we cleaned up our mess, which I was mostly responsible for, and I handed him the kangaroo apron and he traded it for the saran wrapped pie tin full of the rest of the pie.

"Why are you handing me the whole pie? You don't expect me to take this all home do you? I couldn't! I mean, you should take some!" I shouted as I tried to hand the pie tin back to him.

"I already had some and my parents will survive, we always have some kind of dessert lying around here anyways. I want you to have it. I'm sure your parents and sister would love to have some of the dessert you made." he said convincingly while he pushed it back at me. I could tell it would be hard to get out of taking the whole thing, but I would try, or else I would feel guilty. And he just had to use that pleading face on me too, didn't he.

"But…but…" I muttered. Oh no, I forgot the response I had cleverly conjured up. Don't give me that look. He had raised an eyebrow at me while I struggled to remember my reasoning. With a sigh I gave in.

"Fine." I said obstinately. I couldn't debate with him if I couldn't even remember my argument.

Just then his mother came back in the room, I guessed she had overheard us and came to the conclusion that I was leaving.

"Are you leaving now Amu?" she asked and I nodded my head saying I should start heading home for dinner. I wasn't even sure if my mom had started preparing dinner at home yet, but I didn't want to overstay my welcome.

"If your parents don't mind, I would love for you to join us. I was just going to start dinner." Oh no, not the face. I see where the twins inherited their pleading visages from. His mother's was even more powerful though, it was probably from years of experience that she was able to have such a persuasive aura. I could attempt to decline when Nagihiko had tried it on me, but this time there was no way. I then texted my parents to ask them for permission to extend my stay and they allowed it to my dismay.

* * *

Dinner was surprisingly enjoyable. It was just Nagihiko, his mother and I because his father was going to be home late today. I expected to be extremely nervous and self-conscious the entire time, but his mother made me feel very welcome and at ease. She seemed so casual compared to how her image portrayed her. She was still very proper in regards to manners, but she was very talkative and interested in my responses when she asked me about school and my family and things of that sort. I was so comfortable here in their company that the atmosphere seemed to have a home away from home quality. I felt carefree without even noticing the disappearance of my previously tense feeling.

After dinner I was astonished to find it was getting rather late. It wasn't very dark outside, but what got me was that I didn't notice the time pass; I must have been absorbed in our conversations at dinner. After thanking her for the meal I offered to help Nagihiko and his mother and clean up. She thanked me for the assistance, making a remark about how kind that was. I blushed and smiled.

* * *

Unfortunately it was now time to go. I loved the time we spent together; I hadn't been this comfortable in a family setting other than my own in a very long time, maybe not even ever. I expressed my gratitude for having me today before I said goodbye to them both. She said goodbye to me and hoped she would see me again soon before she excused herself and walked towards another room. Nagihiko said goodbye next and opened the door for me. I walked out and heard the door close behind me.

"What a fun visit that was. I can't wait to show mama and papa the pie I made. Ami is going to be so excited." I chuckled to myself. I pictured Ami eating a giant slice of pie and making a mess, she was so funny when she was excited.

"And you weren't going to take it. I was right." I heard someone say in a slightly arrogant tone. I did a 180 to discover an overly confident amethyst haired boy relishing in his knowledge of my predictable behavior.

"What are you doing out here?" I asked Nagihiko more out of curiosity than annoyance.

"I'm going to walk you home of course." he stated like it was obvious.

"You don't have to do that. It's not even that dark yet and it's a pretty short walk and…I should just shut up now, shouldn't I?" I said after I realized that my disputing would not move him. It was about as effective as telling the earth to stop orbiting the sun. I could not willingly move him or his eyebrow that had risen in disbelief while I was trying to convince him, to no avail, not to walk me home. And so we both began to head to my house together.

* * *

**Wow, this is the longest chapter I have written. Ever. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I did writing it. And I would like to give a big thanks to Priya (my first reviewer for this story) who caught a mistake of mine that was pretty important. There may be some Nagihiko POV next chapter, maybe, probably. I update randomly so the next chapter will be up…sometime. Thanks for reading.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: What? A Date? With Nagihiko?**

**Amu POV**

Our walk to my house, like the previous walks toward the supermarket and to his house, was filled with lively conversation. I was glad that Nagihiko was able to get me to talk. I really hated the strange silence between two people that can't find things to say, but I wasn't loquacious enough to be able to prevent such a thing from occurring. He really was the perfect person to talk to, when he wasn't saying something or asking me a question and waiting patiently for my response and a wordless moment came, it felt strangely comfortable. Today really made me realize how much I really liked hanging out with him.

"Do you have any plans for tomorrow Amu-chan?" he asked when we were both standing side by side staring at my house. He must have been surprised like I was at how fast that walk had felt.

"Mmm, no I don't think so." I said still looking up at my well lit house. Not unless endless hours of TV, TV and more TV counted.

"Then would you like to spend the day with me tomorrow?" he questioned. I could see from my peripheral that he had turned toward me now, but I had been spacing out thinking about how cool the lights looked in the darkness that had come during our walk. I had noticed him, but didn't really absorb that fact I was supposed to respond now. I broke out of my trance as quickly as I could so I wouldn't leave him hanging.

"Sorry! I was spacing out, but yeah, that would be great." I said as I turned to face him. That's embarrassing. He just laughed.

"Cool. I will see you tomorrow at 10 a.m. then. Later." And with that, he began to walk in the direction of his house.

"Wait! Umm, should I meet you somewhere or something?" I shouted at him. He whirled around and stopped to see the confusion in my expression. He smiled for some reason and it made me a little suspicious.

"I will be here at 10 a.m. I would tell you where we're going, but then it wouldn't be a surprise now would it? Goodnight Amu-chan." He said and began to walk towards his house again.

"Goodnight." I said, maybe a little too late. I wondered where he could possibly be taking me. I guess I will just have to find out tomorrow then, huh? It was a good thing he walked me home, it got darker than I had expected in such a short time. Time to go inside.

* * *

"It's tasty big sis!" squealed Ami with pie all over her face.

"So cute!" shouted my parents in unison as they looked over at Ami. Papa then proceeded to take a million photos of her while she went through various poses. After that was over with they all kept telling me how good it was and that I was such a great baker. They kept saying things like 'that's our Amu' and I tried to tell them I had a lot of help and my dad wondered why I didn't bake more and why I would only bake with 'that boy'. I couldn't take it anymore so I wished them all a goodnight and ran for the stairs. After taking a bath, chugging my signature after-bath bottle of milk on my balcony, and changing into my pajamas I collapsed onto my plush bed and slipped under the covers. I turned off my lamp, flipped onto on my back, and put my hands behind my head.

"What a fun day that was. Tomorrow should be even more fun. Just me and Nagihiko alone. Going wherev-" I stopped midsentence and my jaw dropped. This wasn't a date, was it? We may have been alone together for most of the day today, but that was different. I had asked him today, and we went to the store and made a pie together only because that's what he was already had planned. This time he asked me and we weren't even going by his house so there was no chance of seeing his mom and our destination was going to be surprise for me. He didn't even think about inviting anyone else like I had. He probably didn't know whether they were all busy or not. Ah!

I was holding my now hot face in the darkness and wondering what to do. Did I want to go on a date with him? I wasn't sure. He was really nice though, and pretty cute, especially when he smiled and his honey colored eyes would have that adorable gleam of true happiness…hold up, what am I thinking? He was just a good friend of mine, right? Yeah, but what if it was a date and we got smoothies and I totally spilled mine all over myself and ruined it? What if I thought it was a date and then one of his friends from second grade who had supposedly moved to Ireland appeared out of nowhere and they caught up and had a great time while I became a third wheel? Does he even have a friend that moved to Ireland? I don't think so. Well now I'm just making things up. I just have to calm down and approach this logically. It could or could not be a date, but the bigger question is, will I go?

I hesitated. In the event that this was a date, and it did go wrong, would it ruin our friendship? That was the last thing I wanted to happen. I cherished our friendship too much. If it wasn't a date it would be much easier on my nerves, but I couldn't say that a part of me didn't hope that it was. I really liked Nagihiko, and I never really thought of him as more than a friend, but when I did now, it wasn't a hard thing to picture. There were a few boys that had caught my attention, but they weren't like Nagihiko. Unlike him, when I had gotten to know them better, they weren't the people their outer characters led me to believe they were. So I had to make a decision. As much as I was afraid that things would go wrong, I wanted to go. There was no doubt that I would have a good time, I mean, I don't think it was possible to have a bad time with Nagihiko. So I would go, partially for him and partially for me of course, but either way I was still going. I would not let my fears get the best of me and accept my other option of making up a lie and cancelling.

After my restless thoughts had calmed, I was finally able to stop tossing and turning and clear my busy mind. I took some deep breaths and finally shut my eyes. A few minutes later I had been enveloped by sleep.

**Nagihiko POV**

What am I going to do? Should I tell her? What if she hates me for lying to her?

* * *

**That's one intense cliffhanger. Sorry if this story is really slow, I am just trying to give it a backbone so I don't just throw some randomness at people that they have to accept just because. I expect next chapter to be pretty crazy as there is a lot to deal with. It will have more Nagihiko POV than these few sentences, I promise. Thanks for lasting this long.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5: The War to Unravel a Tangled Web.**

**Nagihiko POV**

It was these three questions I kept asking myself as I had prepared for bed and now as a paced back and forth through my room in my pajamas. She had deserved to know the truth about Nadeshiko, but I was too much of a coward to tell her. I was afraid that she would agree with my predictions and think badly of me, as she rightfully should. She would hate me and never talk to me again and I just couldn't bear the thought of our friendship dissolving because I was so ashamed. What a tangled web I have weaved. I let out a long sigh. Now I really had a problem though, I had come to realized that my spur of the moment decision to ask her to hang out tomorrow so I could straighten out this mess wasn't very well thought out. I couldn't just tell her something like this. I stopped my pacing and found myself standing in front of my mirror.

"Hey Amu-chan, I just thought you should know that I have been lying to your face for the last couple years. Nadeshiko doesn't actually exist, you see, she is really just me in girls' clothing. My real name is Nagihiko and Nadeshiko is just an alias of mine that I use to uphold a family tradition. I hope you'll forgive me. No hard feelings, right?" I recited to the mirror. I played around with the words in my head, but no matter how it was rephrased it still sounded terrible. I couldn't stand to look at myself anymore so I walked over to my bed and had a seat on the edge away from the mirror.

The war in my mind raged on. I held my head in my hands as the thoughts continued to buzz and throb until I began they began to give me a headache. More thoughts were flowing in and mixing in with the previous ones now.

I should have told her long ago, but I didn't want to scare her away. Tadase and Kukai may have accepted me, but not without some shock and a bit of playful teasing. The fact that Amu is a girl would make matters much more difficult though. Even I think it would be weird and unnerving for a girl to discover that someone she thought was a girl was actually a boy in disguise. Maybe it is family tradition, but it's still a hard thing to accept.

I felt like a fraud, like I betrayed her. I was so tired of deceiving her, and I didn't want to have this horrible feeling resting within me. I wanted to be someone that she could trust and that she could depend on, and albeit she may think of me that way now, it wasn't the real me. The trustworthy and dependable me would tell her about Nadeshiko. So was I really going to tell her then? Is that what I was going to tell her on our outing tomorrow? Just Amu and I and all the time in the word to tell her.

Just Amu and I… It almost sounded like a date. I lifted my head now and continued my train of thought. I certainly didn't think about that at the time. I wonder what she thought of that. Maybe she didn't think of me that way at all. She certainly wouldn't think much of me after I told her about Nadeshiko anyways, so I guess it didn't really matter. In all honestly that bothered me the most, I didn't want to be ruled out. I wasn't even sure if I really liked her as more than my best friend, but it's not like I saw it as impossibility. She was humble, considerate and easily flustered, which I found to be endearing. The way her cheeks would deepen from a light rosy hue to bright red and her golden eyes would widen in shock whenever I would take her slender hand in mine never failed to make me laugh. I was going to miss that. I fell back onto my bed and exhaled. My eyes stared at the plain white ceiling that was in my direct view. I wondered what its thoughts on my soliloquy were. I imagined it to have a disapproving expression.

"Yeah, I know." I said and shut my eyes. "But I am going to tell her. No matter what, I am going to tell her. Even if she never speaks to me again." I trailed off in a melancholic tone. I scrunched my right eye and opened my left slightly to see the ceiling's now sympathetic expression. I think I liked disapproval more than sympathy. It was more in line with what I was feeling and although the sympathy felt nice, I don't think I deserved it. I covered my eyes with my hand and didn't take off my hand until I was standing upright. I went to turn off the lights then sluggishly crawled into bed without looking up at the ceiling again. I closed my wary eyes and drifted off to sleep.

**

* * *

**

Amu POV

I grumbled as I heard the piercing sound of my alarm clock for the third time before I had decided I really needed to get up. I yawned, stretched, and reluctantly sat up from my comfortable sleeping position. I rubbed my eyes and looked at the time. It was 9. Time to get up; I don't want to make him wait. I stumbled out of bed to prepare for my day with Nagihiko.

**Nagihiko POV**

I awoke at my usual time of 8 o'clock to the bright light of morning sun. I fluidly removed my covers and stood beside my bed. I made my bed and smoothed the wrinkles out of my comforter. It was now time to get ready for my day with Amu.

**Amu + Nagihiko POV**

I felt a bit nervous when I thought about what the day might have in store for me.

* * *

**Woah, parallel thoughts at the end there. Next chapter should be longer. It's going to be pretty much all about the 'casual outing' they have together. It's gonna be pretty neat and really fun to write. "See you next thyme". Haha, Souplantation pun. Disclaimer: I don't own Souplantation and its clever puns. Or Shugo Chara. Sad face.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6: The Secret That Could Tear Us Apart!**

**Amu POV**

I looked out my window to see Nagihiko walking along my street in a thin maroon short sleeve hooded shirt, some dark jeans, and some matching maroon hightops. According to the clock on my phone it was now 9:59 a.m. How did I know he would be right on time? Intuition I guess. I twirled around a few times in front of the full length mirror downstairs to give my outfit one last inspection before I left. I was wearing a light gray off the shoulder long sleeved shirt with a small v-cut at the collar bone where two thick strings hung that tied together in a bow with jean shorts. I had paired this with some light gray knee high socks and my black Converse. Good enough. I had found it pretty difficult to choose an outfit today and had settled on this. I was snapping my red X hair clip onto the front section of my hair I had gathered and pulled back when I heard the door bell ring. The noise resuscitated the forgotten dormant butterflies that had been present in my stomach all morning. Deep breath Amu. You can do this.

"H-hey Nagihiko, I will be ready in one sec, I just have to tell my parents I'm leaving." I told him when I answered the door.

"No problem." he stated.

I shut the door softly and then ran to the bottom of the stairs to shout at my parents who were upstairs somewhere. I really didn't want to go up there and tell them in person that I was leaving. After I had asked them for permission to go earlier this morning my dad had overreacted like I knew he would. If I was going to try to calm myself down before facing Nagihiko again watching Papa freak out definitely wouldn't help.

I shouted up the stairs to let them know and heard Mama's distant voice telling me to have fun and give her a call a little later. I heard the beginning of something Papa was saying, but I ran out of hearing range before it could make me more anxious. I was back at the door and I had to take another deep breath. Stupid butterflies.

"I'm ready now, let's go." I assured him as we both now stood on my doorstep. I felt my face getting a bit hot when I made eye contact with him and I begged that it wasn't noticeable. I looked down at my shoes. I had a question I was dying to ask him and it was my attempt to hide my reddish face from his perceptive honey eyes.

"H-hey Nagihiko? I-is this… Uh, nevermind, forget I said anything." This was a lot harder than I would have imagined. I couldn't bring myself to spit it out. It was just one little question after all. All I could manage to do was move my feet around and stare at my fidgeting hands whose fingers twined and untwined with restlessness. It was amazing how easily anxiety had smothered my previously burning curiosity.

"You can ask me anything Amu-chan." He said with a little chuckle. He had moved his hands behind his back and leaned over in an attempt to get a better look at my face. Oh no, he had tilted his head a bit and he could see my eyes now. I was beginning to regret pulling my bangs back because now I couldn't hide behind them. I lifted my head up and he straightened up after I decided it was no use to try to hide. I was too nervous to meet his gaze, so I just looked to the side. Here goes nothing.

"W-well, I was going to ask you, umm… Is th-this…a date?" It felt like lava was rising up to my cheeks rather than just blood. He just laughed at me and it made me feel like ridiculous, like I was crying over spilled milk or something.

"That's why you're so nervous?" He was still giggling and I was becoming a little irritated. So it was pretty noticeable then. "Amu-chan, it's only a date if you want it to be. So quit worrying so much or you'll get wrinkles." He winked at me and I playfully stuck out my tongue at him. I actually didn't mind his teasing at the moment, it really calmed me down.

**Nagihiko POV**

She seemed s little calmer now. That was good. We really didn't need two stressed out people after all. I could tell she was a little distracted thinking about something, so it was time to snap her out of it.

"We can just stand here all day Amu-chan, we have places to go!" And with that I took her hand and looked back to catch a glimpse of the usual adorably shocked expression. I counted to three quickly in my head as we began a slow jog towards our destination.

"Nagihiko!" she complained. I was getting better at judging her reaction. It had come exactly when I had finished counting this time. How unfortunate.

A date, huh? I wish it could be.

**

* * *

**

Amu POV

"You're still holding my hand again." I noted. He paused and we both stopped walking while he observed our hands.

"Yeah, you're right… Well we don't have time to waste standing around, we're almost there." He informed me. I rolled my eyes and we continued walking hand in hand. I said no more about it after that. Nagihiko the Earth was unstoppable. I smiled as I entertained the strange epithet I had created in my mind.

I thought about what he had said, about us being almost there. We were walking down a street lined with little shops and eateries I had never heard of. I had never even seen this part of the city actually; it was quaint and comforting here.

"Here we are." We were stopped in front of a gallery of photographs. The gallery didn't look that big, but I was able to see some stairs to another floor through the sturdy glass walls that made up the establishment. It looked very mod and fascinating.

"This is so cool! I didn't even know this was here!" I said with delight. He released my hand and opened one of the double glass doors in front of me.

"After you." he smiled and waved for me to go in. He always acted like such a gentleman and it certainly didn't fit with his attire today. It made me want to giggle, but I held it in so I wouldn't have to explain myself and offend him.

"Thanks." I said politely and walked in.

All of the photographs were amazing. I had come to realize that the ones on the lower floor were all in black and white and the ones on the floor above were in color. Color or no color they were all stunning. The pictures ranged from recognizable monuments to just your average slice of life moment in time. I think my favorite ones were the black and white pictures that captured an ordinary scene. They just seemed to evoke the most feeling from me, probably because I could relate to them. I felt as if I knew exactly what the photographer was thinking at the time he took the picture. Having no color also made the photo more enigmatic, like a story with no background. It didn't give you everything it could have, which leaves the viewer wanting more and ultimately using their imagination to create a story of their own.

It was these reasons that I had almost forgotten that Nagihiko was with me. His face, like mine, was solemn. I could never look at a piece of art without a somber feeling that always contorted my face into a serious expression. We must be similar in that way.

We didn't say a word to each other when we were in the gallery, at least not until it was time to go.

"Ready, Amu-chan?" he asked me quietly as he came to stand beside me and observe the photo I was currently marveling. It was a grayscale photograph of a young couple sitting next to each other on a park bench. Since you were observing the couple from behind the bench you could only see above their shoulders and parts of them that showed between the gaps in the polished wood planks that had been arranged into the bench's shape. There was a small distance between that appeared to separate the two, but when I had studied it more closely I saw the interlocked hands resting in the center of the distance that made them a single entity. It was a beautiful picture and I guessed it to be taken sometime in the early spring due to all the cherry blossoms in full bloom.

In my mind I gave the trees their soft light pink color and the grass beneath a mossy green. The bench had a black metal frame and the wood was a tan color with unsymmetrical scattered spots of dark brown. Their clothes were various spring colors. The girl's shoulder length hair was a candy colored hot pink. It blended well with the cherry blossoms in the background. The boy's previously short hair grew to an astoundingly long length for a boy and became the color of dark purple orchids. I blushed and came to. Nagihiko was still waiting for my reply.

"Oh, yeah, I'm ready." I said morosely. It was such a dazzling picture that I hated to have to leave it.

* * *

We both decided we were ready for lunch and apparently he had already picked a place for us to go. We had a relaxing lunch at a café where some musicians and singers performed their own renditions of some popular mellow jazz songs. I wasn't an avid jazz fan, but it fit well with the atmosphere and gave a new life to this style of music I had never thought to listen to. After lunch we just walked along the shops and occasionally walked into one to browse. He tried to insist on getting me whatever I had looked at for an extended period of time, but I sternly told him I wouldn't allow it so neither of us bought anything. I had called my mom to check in during this time and tried to keep the conversation as short as possible saying I would tell her about it later.

It was starting to get a little darker now that it was 6 o'clock so we stopped our browsing and had a light meal at a diner. We had both saved a little room for some frozen yogurt after dinner. I was all about chocolate with gummy bears and he preferred original with fruit. We joked that we were like yin and yang. One couldn't exist without the other. That's what our friendship was like, a very strong bond of two people that had their differences, but were held together by their much stronger similarities. We balanced each other.

**Nagihiko POV**

I led her to a park nearby her house and we had a seat together on a bench so we could finish whatever was left of our quickly diminishing frozen yogurts.

"Here, I'll throw yours away for you." I told her and held out my hand for her cup.

"Thanks Nagi. Woah, sorry, I meant Nagihiko. That was weird." she laughed. She handed me her cup with a cute apologetic smile on her face. She really wasn't going to make this any easier.

"You're welcome. And I don't mind being called Nagi." I replied robotically. I turned for the trashcan and slowed my pace as much as I could get away with. My face fell. There's no backing out now Nagi.

Nagi. She had never called me that before. Others had given me that nickname before, but hearing it from her gave it a different meaning. I would have smiled, but I couldn't do it. I had too much on my mind. I was heading back from the trashcan and I slowed down even more, except this time it seemed involuntary. It was as if all the thought buzzing in my head were weighing me down in the form of heavy stones in my pockets and a ball and chain attached to my ankles. I didn't even want to go back to the bench, I to sluggishly crawl away, but I was done with keeping secrets from her.

"Are you okay? You seem a little…different or something." she inquired. I could see her looking at me but I just continued to think about my approach to the whole Nadeshiko subject. I had been sitting and with a sigh, I lifted myself up and stared at the last sliver of the hazy sun that was visible between some remote buildings until it disappeared.

"Did you want to go home now?" She started to get up from the bench. She looked worried. I wish I could have made her smile one more time before I broke the news to her so I could commit it to memory, but I wasn't in the mood for humor.

"Just stay seated." I demanded indifferently. I kept ignoring her questions and avoiding her eyes.

"Okay…" she replied and sat back down slowly. She sounded concerned; she probably thought I was having an episode or something.

"I have something to tell you, or rather, something I've needed to tell you for a while now. Hold out your hand please." I told her. She held out it out and I rummaged through my pocket and dropped a small object into her hand.

**Amu POV**

I picked up the object between the thumb and forefingers of my empty hand. I had originally thought it was a small red satin square, but it had unfolded. It was a hair ribbon. It had little pink flowers on the ends. I had seen this somewhere and after a few seconds of thinking it had clicked.

"Th-this is Nadeshiko's! Why are you giving me this? I don't understand..." I said. At first I was shocked, but now I was just confused. I began to make assumptions. He had a grave look on his face that made me think that something had happened. My breath was coming quickly now. A thousand possibilities were running through my head and I was frightened. "Is she okay? Nothing happened to her, right?"

There was no answer.

"Well?" I questioned eagerly. The only thing I could hear was the sound of some scattered faraway voices. The fact that none of them belong to him was maddening. I was standing up now and grasping the ribbon so tightly that my hand was shaking.

"I'm not who you think I am. I've been lying to you Amu-chan." He stated. He turned to face me now and he looked really upset. His eyes looked grieved like he was on the brink of tears, but no tears came.

"What? But what does that have to do with Nadeshiko?" I wondered. He wasn't making any sense.

"In my family there is a tradition that the boys are to be raised as girls when they are young so they can learn dancing. It has been carried on through generations and I was no exception. Nadeshiko doesn't exist. I took on that name so I could dance and she is really me in disguise. My real name is Nagihiko and I don't have a twin, there is only me. I have stayed true to who I am deep down, but I had no choice but to alter my appearance. I went to Europe to study different styles of dancing, but while I was there I felt like I was out of place and that something was missing. I realized this is where I really belonged, so I came back to explore life as a boy without having to keep up appearances. I'm sorry I deceived you and caused you so much heartache when I left. I hated having to lie to you for all this time, but I thought you wouldn't accept me and I just wanted to get to know you. I'm so very sorry for everything. I hope that you'll forgive me and we can remain friends, but if you don't want to be friends with someone like me I will understand." he explained and looked away from me. His had looked pained and I guessed he must have turned away in shame.

I didn't know what to say. I almost thought he was joking at first, but as he went on I could tell he was serious. I was in utter shock; I had never suspected a thing. He played his parts well.

"I can't believe you lied to me. For two years." I finally said. He didn't say anything. "I thought we were friends, how could you keep something like this from me?" There was a small wordless pause and I was the one to break it.

"But more than that I can't believe you think I wouldn't accept you. Do you really think I would be that shallow?" That wasn't me. I would have understood. Family tradition or not I wouldn't care.

"I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." he mumbled just loud enough for me to hear.

I looked down at the red ribbon in my shaky numb hand and my eyes started to water.

"You didn't even bother to tell me in person when you left. Do you know how much I missed you? Do you know how much I cried over you?" I was shouting at him now. Obviously he didn't know, but I was just so angry. I was sad and betrayed and upset and confused. My tears were coming fast now and it was hard to see. I was crying over him once again. Even though I was mad at him I still believed him about staying true to his personality. I didn't want to believe anything he had said, but I couldn't deny the sincerity in his voice when he had told me that. Why did I believe him? I should just leave; I should just stop talking to him and run. My house was close by, I could easily run there from here, but my feet wouldn't move. My heart kept giving me reasons to forgive him and defend his decision not to tell me, it was infuriating. I was perplexed. It was a choice between forgiveness and keeping a grudge.

Would this be the end of our friendship? My reluctance to forgive him would end up tearing us apart? I…

I didn't want that. I didn't want to stop talking or laughing or blushing or going to galleries or browsing in stores or eating frozen yogurt with him. I didn't want to be apart from him, not again. I wanted him to always be nearby so I could spend time with him. I would let him hold my hand, I would let him buy me something from the stores we browsed through, and I would let him tease me as long as he didn't leave.

I would forgive him. I would understand why he had to keep a secret from me.

"I can see that you can't forgive me for everything I put you through. That's reasonable. I'll just be going then, I'm sure you don't want me around me anymore." He said sadly. He started to turn away from me and he had taken a few steps when I had caught his sleeve.

"So you're just leaving me again? Don't go. Please don't go!" I exclaimed. I brought my hands to my face and tried to scrub the tears from my eyes. I whimpered softly like a child that had been separated from their mother.

"Amu-chan?" Shock was evident on his face when he turned around in reaction to my grabbing his sleeve. I ran into his arms and held him tightly in a hug.

"I forgive you. I don't care that you lied to me; I understand why you did it. It must have been so much harder on you and all I did was yell at you. I'm not mad anymore, I'm just glad that you told me. I just want to stay friends Nagi. I don't want you to leave me again." I told him. The sound of my voice was muffled by his shirt when I had pressed my face into his chest, but he still heard me.

"I promise I won't leave you. Now I'm making you cry again, I'm sorry. Again. And I'm really happy you said so because I didn't want to lose you either Amu-chan." He said. He wrapped his arms around me securely. After I had stopped crying like a child and calmed down, he took my hand and we started walking towards my house. I gladly invited the warm feeling from his hand this time. It reminded me of the photograph I had seen at the gallery in that I imagined us being one entity walking down the street together.

Today I had gained a new perspective on the amethyst haired boy whom I called Nagi and to my surprise; it was in more ways than one.

**

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**

Wow, my brain hurts. Now that was a long chapter. Sorry if it got a little angsty, that's just how it came out. Those were also some pretty intense mood swings. I hope it was a good read anyways, I really didn't know what else to write, and I was stumped quite a few times on this chapter. I could possibly continue this and maybe go further into the relationship stuff I suppose. I really don't know what I will do at this point. :P Tata for now.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7: The Return of the Butterflies!**

**Amu POV**

3 days.

It was 3 days ago that I had last seen him. It wanted to see him again, I was just hesitant. There was so much more I knew about him that I felt a little overwhelmed.

Before we had parted on that warm summer night we had come to a consensus that I would be the one to call him, we thought that would be the easiest thing to do.

I hadn't called him during our time apart. Not once.

Let's face it; I had nothing to do today. I had done my chores for the day, there was nothing on TV, and I had already read my most recent fashion magazine from cover to cover. Twice actually. It was only 1 o'clock. There was nothing physically stopping me from calling him and going somewhere today. It was all in my head, the turmoil in my brain was my biggest obstacle.

Call him, don't call, I want to see him again, maybe today isn't a good day so how about tomorrow? It was always tomorrow, I had been saying I would call him tomorrow since we last saw each other. The idea of tomorrow was an annoying.

Today was yesterday's tomorrow so I guess I could call him.

"Hello Amu-chan." said Nagihiko. I could hear some uncertainty in his voice.

"H-hey, look, I'm really sorry I haven't called you back in a few days, I was just busy. Well actually I wasn't busy, well I guess you could say that's debatable. I had chores to do and my magazine came the other day in the mail and-" My rushed rambling was suddenly cut short.

"Amu-chan, don't worry about it. We made a deal didn't we? I'm actually surprised you called back so quickly." I heard a faint chuckle. Oh no, maybe he thinks I'm needy, shoot. Well what's done is done.

"So I was thinking…there's a new movie coming out that sounded pretty cool. It's a psychological thriller so it's bound to be interesting. Would you want to go see it today, like at 2:30? We can go to the mall theater so we can hang out for a bit there afterwards. I mean, that is if you want to and you aren't busy." *Facepalm* There I go assuming that he has all this free time to spend with me on whim again. I hope he does though. I didn't muster up my courage for nothing.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing. Are you asking me on a date Amu-chan?" he asked with mock surprise. I could hear the cheeky grin in his voice.

"Wh-what? I-I never said anything like that!" I yelled. His teasing was making me flustered and that fact bothered me. I knew when he was messing with me, but apparently my emotions disregarded my realizations.

"2:30, got it. It's a date. I will be at your house at 2 so we will have time to walk there, see you then…my darling." he said exaggerating the last bit.

The line went dead, but not quickly enough that I missed the beginning of what I knew was a soft fit of laughter. The nerve of that guy, I never said anything about a date. His boldness made me smile.

…

Wait, so I'm really going on a real date with him then? Oh no! It's the return of the butterflies, and they are appropriate this time! My smile was morphed with nervousness.

I grasped my phone tightly in my hand and scrambled onto my bed so I could bury my hot face in one of my soft feather-filled pillows.

* * *

**Sorry I've been gone for so long, I just haven't been in writing mode lately, but I am making a comeback. I will continue this story with hope it will be read. And for the record I am totally pro Amuto, but Nagamu and Kutamu are a super close second. Whatever the heck Kairi and Amu would be combined would be third. Tadamu…eh, that's like almost tied for third, but not quite. He's still an adorable little fella, just maybe not for Amu though, haha. Amu is just allowed to choose pretty much anyone just because she is the protagonist and she's so "cool and spicy" in my mind. Later gators.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8: A Cold Chill in the Summer.**

**Amu POV**

I slipped on my scoop neck dress with thin vertical stripes and tied the thick black sash into a bow around my waist. The casual dress stopped just before my knees. I paired it with a pair of black boots that had black ribbons snaking around them that tied in a bow in back, giving them a ballerina look. The boots were knee high so only my knees and my arms up to where the short sleeves of my dress stopped were bare. I wore a couple of black bracelets and brought the top half of my hair back with some bobby pins. I brushed my teeth and packed my wallet, phone and a few other essentials in a small black purse I was planning on bringing.

"Nagi should be here soon, it is almost exactly 2 after all." I laughed. It sounded a little shaky; I was going to have to work on that before he got here.

I had told my parents I was leaving ahead of time today so when the doorbell rang at exactly 2 o'clock I was ready to leave. I answered the door to see a sanguine Nagi wearing an unbuttoned charcoal long sleeved cardigan with a white dress shirt underneath with black jeans and shoes.

"Don't you look nice today Amu-chan, that outfit is lovely." He commented with a sincere smile.

"Oh, th-this? Y-you really think so? Well, um, thanks."I said flustered. Oh no, I hoped I wasn't trying too hard. I just thought I might as well look nice if this was a real date. The way he presented himself made his apparel seem less casual than mine anyways.

"Let us go, for the theater awaits us my dear." He chuckled and turned to the side like he was going to walk away. He suggestively motioned his arm that was currently positioned in a right angle towards me. I lowered my head a little and my cheeks rose in temperature while I put my arm around his.

* * *

"Are you really going to make me walk like this the entire way there? It isn't the early 1900's anymore." I giggled after a few blocks of walking with our arms locked. I was beginning to relax and I was able to think more clearly now. I could see people staring at us.

"Oh come on, you've got to love those stares." he laughed. I laughed along with him; the people's puzzled expressions did look pretty funny.

"Two tickets for the 2:30 showing please." stated Nagi to the man at the ticket booth. The man looked at him apathetically and handed him the tickets.

"Nagi! You didn't have to pay for my ticket, I brought money! And I asked you to come so you shouldn't pay!" I shouted frantically while we walked towards the theater entrance.

"Well I can't just let my date pay for her ticket, that wouldn't be right. Here you go." he responded and handed me my ticket with a smirk on his face. I sighed and took it reluctantly.

"Thanks." I muttered.

It seemed that neither of us really wanted anything from the concession stand so we passed it and made our way to a teenage girl standing at a podium in the middle of the hallway leading to the theaters.

"May I see your tickets please?" she asked politely. We both gave her our perforated tickets and she ripped them in half and returned the stubs.

"Theater 6 will be on your right. Have fun you two." She told us and winked. I was a little embarrassed because of her comment, but it didn't even faze him. He just kept walking towards our theater with me tagging along.

* * *

The theater was relatively empty today, which was nice because it gave us a good selection of seats. We chose the middle of one of the back rows and waited for the movie to start. The girl's harmless comment was getting to me, I felt uneasy because I didn't know if this was a date or not so I really wasn't sure what would happen. I couldn't even say what movies the previews were about.

"I wonder if that new action movie will be good, the special effects looked pretty high quality, but I dunno…" he thought aloud. He was tapping his chin with his forefinger and pensively staring at the screen. "What do you think?" he asked turning to me now and patiently waiting for an answer. It was unreal how oblivious he acted about us being alone together in the dark theater. I guess this really wasn't a date after all, but at least we're spending time together again.

"I think the plot sounds pretty interesting." I lied. I hadn't caught what it was about, I was too worried about what this all meant, but I guess now it didn't matter anymore. I felt some relief with a touch of disappointment.

Just then the movie began. From my peripheral I could see his eyes intently studying the screen again. They stayed fixed there for the entire movie, unlike mine that would occasionally take quick glances over at the amethyst haired statue that sat in my neighboring seat. The movie was pretty good, but I didn't know if it was good enough to receive my undivided attention like that if I hadn't been watching Nagi. We got up from our seats and headed for the food court for some dinner. We both agreed on Panda Express and again he paid for me.

"Why are you doing this to me again? I brought money for a reason you know." I told him.

"As did I." he responded with that cheeky grin of his. "How about I let you pick a table?"

I glared at him and stuck out my tongue and it made him laugh. He set down our tray of food that he insisted on carrying and we took our seats at a small table for two.

* * *

"A lake or the beach?" he inquired.

"The beach"

"Snow or rain?"

"Mmm, snow."

After discussing the movies for a bit he kept firing simple questions at me and I would sometimes ask a few of my own during our meal. When we finished our Panda bowls he cleared our tray and set it on top of the trashcan. Upon returning he asked me what we should do next.

"Well to be honest I'm not really up for exploring the mall anymore." I admitted sheepishly.

"Well to be honest neither was I." He smiled and we both chuckled softly. "Do you want to walk around a little outside of the mall before we head home? Its only 5:30 after all."

"That'd be great." I assured him.

We had done some walking around the area and something felt strange. He told me stories about times he visited the different shops we passed by and I listened closely, but in the back of my mind something felt off. I was walking by his side like usual, but it felt unusually cold for this time of year. I crossed my uncovered arms in an attempt to stay warm and the action made me realize what was different. My hands were empty. I stared at them for a few seconds, but then rested them at my sides before he could notice. I was sure that I stayed a step behind him so he couldn't see my face. I had gotten my hopes up it seems, silly me.

"Look Amu-chan, isn't it beautiful? And the sun being so low in the sky is making the water shimmer." he stated happily. He had led me to a small garden surrounded by a vast array of different trees and flowers of all colors. There were cobblestone paths that lead to an oval shaped koi pond that was separated into two levels by a small wooden bridge. You could hear the water flowing over rocks between the higher pond and the slightly lower one beneath it. From our place on the bridge we could see the whiskered fish swimming gracefully in the clear water. I was mesmerized by their continuous slow circling through the pond. They looked like they were dancing.

"Pretty, aren't they? I used to come here all the time when I could get away from my dancing practice for a little while. They gave me inspiration." he said nostalgically.

"Mmm." I mumbled as I too observed the gilled creatures. I could feel my mood lightening.

"There was a reason I brought you here Amu-chan. I wanted to ask you something. And don't worry, it's nothing bad this time, I promise." he said as he looked over at me. There was a smile on his face and in his voice, and his honey eyes gleamed with kindness. His intense stare made my heart pound, and I could feel heat rising in my cheeks. What could he possibly ask me with a face like that?

**

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**

Who doesn't go see psychological thrillers on possible movie dates nowadays? Yeah, I hope this chapter isn't bad, I feel like it is for some reason. Well at least it ends with an exciting cliffhanger. You can probably tell what's coming next and if you can't I guess you will just have to wait and see. Koi are like the coolest fish ever. And I'm not a fashion designer, their clothing is what it is, haha.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9: What We Have Become.**

**Amu POV**

"I like you Amu-chan, I really do!" he assured me as he took one of my hands firmly in both of his and raised it to the height level of our hearts. His eyes sparkled with courage and love. I was utterly speechless; I couldn't even tease him that what he had said was a statement. My face burned.

"Will you…will you be my girlfriend Amu-chan?" he questioned. What? What did he just say? To me?

My involuntary breathing was ragged and quick. I could feel shock envelop my entire body. My mouth was frozen in a small O and my eyes were opened wide. I felt the need to pinch myself because I feared this was all a cruel dream that I would have to reluctantly awaken from. Nagi asking me to be his girlfriend? I thought I would never see the day. I was ecstatic.

I had always admired Nagi. He was clever, cute, and too gentlemanly for his own good. He always knew what to say and he understood me, which was something that i was especially thankful for. Knowing that he was also Nadeshiko only brought me closer to him rather than push me away. He was different from the other guys I knew, he just had this certain charm that no one could really match. He was more than just a friend to me and that fact would become apparent now.

"Y-yes. Because I like you too Nagi!" I told him and he took me into his arms. My once frozen body slowly relaxed when it met his. I lifted my arms to hug him back.

"I'm so happy." he whispered softly. I closed my eyes and rested my head on his warm shoulder.

I didn't hear the trickling of the water. I no longer felt the wooden bridge's presence underneath my boots. All I heard and felt was him. We were in a place of our own where nothing existed but our two blended figures standing together in perfect harmony. My heart swelled with love for this young boy that held me in his comforting arms. I forgot about all the times he wasn't there and when we weren't talking and when he had understandably hid secrets from me. I forgot any rough patches our relationship had hit and they were replaced with feelings of joy. The only Nagi I knew and had ever known was the one standing before me now. I only had a positive perspective of this Nagi and it was one that was biased by my reciprocated feelings for him.

We both stepped back out of our embrace and smiled with blush coloring our cheeks. Our gaze didn't shift from each other's eyes. A feeling of bliss radiated from our still frames.

"I have an idea. Do you think the gallery is still open?" I asked with hopeful tone.

* * *

We were running through the streets dimly lit by the remnants of the sun hand in hand. The people we passed were merely insignificant nameless blurs.

We made it just in time before the gallery closed for the day. I talked to the young woman who sat at the desk on the first floor about a picture we had seen on our last visit.

Before I knew it we had exited the gallery each holding a poster sized copy of a photo. It was a copy of the couple sitting on the bench. It was a picture of us and what we had become, that single being.

**

* * *

**

Well I think I've beaten this tale to death so this may be the end unless I get requests to continue or something. I may just start another story, but really its all up to the fans. (The about two fans that i have for this story, haha.) Well somebody has to write the less popular stuff and that's where I come in. Wasn't that nice? They get a cute little happy ending, yay! Thank you for lasting this long if you made it to the end; I admire your gallantry for reading this fluffy mush of words I call a story. Go Nagamu/NagiAmu/Amuhiko or whatever you want to call it! Aha, bye for now! ;D


	10. Chapter 10

**My apologies for not continuing earlier, I've been busy, and I honestly didn't think I would be continuing this story. Well you guys asked for it, so it's not my fault if it's bad! Haha, juuust kiddin. Here we go, another chapter just for you! Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 10: Everyone Together…What's going on?**

**Amu POV**

My eyes struggled to open as they worked to adjust to the bright morning light coming through my sliding doors leading out to my balcony. I rolled over on my stomach to push myself up into a sitting position. I yawned and stretched, then gently rubbed my eyes with my bed-warm hands. Before getting out of bed, I paused.

I reflected on the memories of everything that happened yesterday, it still seemed so unreal. Me and Nagi, huh? I wondered what it would sound like if someone were to mix our names together in honor of us becoming a couple, sort of like a Brangelina thing. Would it be Nagamu? Amuhiko? I couldn't decide, just the idea of it made me laugh.

I finally got myself out of bed and went to the bathroom to freshen up before breakfast. Upon looking in the mirror I realized that I had this slightly smug, stupid look on my face. Not to mention my hair was sticking up in every direction. I couldn't help but chuckle at myself, what was that look for? I felt a little proud I guess. I couldn't help it, not after everything that had happened.

Oh well, hopefully my parents wouldn't notice. I wasn't the best liar, especially with my parents. They had that weird parental power to force stuff out of you, it's pretty creepy if you ask me.

It was then that I caught a faint smell of waffles and fresh strawberries. Weird, we don't eat waffles for breakfast very often. It was usually a special occasion kind of breakfast, but whatever. I wasn't going to complain. I loved waffles.

* * *

As I headed downstairs, I let out a few large yawns. I guess I still wasn't completely awake, even though it was already 10:30.

"Good morning Amu-chan." Said my mom from the kitchen.

"Morning Mama." I replied.

"Mornin Big Sis! Heheheh…" chuckled Ami from her seat at the table. She had the weirdest look on her face, like she was expecting something, but in an odd sort of way.

"Morning…Amu-chan…" muttered Papa between muffled sobs. He was slumped over at his seat at the table and crying for some reason.

"Uh, morning Ami…and…Papa…" I returned.

What was up with them this morning? They were acting so strange. They should be happier, we were having waffles, and waffles are delicious. While eyeing the both of them suspiciously, I slowly took my seat at the table.

I couldn't stand to look at Ami's strangely dark-looking expectant face, so I turned to Papa.

"Uh Papa, you're kinda…well your tears are pooling on the floor." I informed him. The obnoxiously large pool on the ground was beginning to head towards my feet. I tried to watch the pools direction then lift and move my feet strategically to avoid the puddle. I was still watching the puddle's movement when I heard it.

"Good morning Amu-chan." Said a voice a few feet away.

"Yeah yeah, good morning Nagi." I responded dismissively.

…

I froze.

* * *

N-n-nagi? No…I've got to be dreaming. Fright distorted my face and my mouth hung agape. I slowly and robotically lifted my head to check if…

"Hello, Amu-chan." Said a smiling Nagi, looking completely presentable in normal clothing, in contrast to my disheveled pajama morning look.

Wha…? Nagi…right here…my parents and my sister…together…?

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes to collect myself, or at least attempt to.

When I reopened them, he was still standing there, patiently waiting for me to stop freaking out.

I guess that explains the waffles, but what's going on?

* * *

**Ooo, pretty exciting, eh? What is he doing there? I don't even know yet, or maybe I do. But that's for another chapter.**

**:/...?**

**Aaaanyways, don't worry, it definitely won't be months until the next chapter this time. Once again, so sorry. :( Thanks for sticking with me if you have already read the previous chapters, and if you haven't, thanks for giving my story a chance! I'm still surprised people wanted more chapters, but I'll take it, haha. Later then! (But not ridiculously later...i promise...haha.)**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11, all right. What happens when you mix waffles, Nagihiko, and Amu's family together? You get chapter 11 of this story. Like always, hope you enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter 11: Something that Needed to be Done.**

**Amu POV**

"Wh-wh-what are you doing here?" I questioned frantically. I probably looked like a mess, I knew my face was red and I wasn't expecting to see him, so I hadn't put much effort into my appearance. Is he into messy hair and checkered pajamas? That would be convenient. Wow, this was pretty embarrassing.

"He is here to have breakfast with us. Please, have a seat Nagihiko-kun." Mama interjected. I heard a small whimper coming from Papa's direction, but he didn't lift himself up from the table.

She had just walked into the room from the kitchen carrying some of the toppings for the waffles, which consisted of sliced strawberries and whip cream. She then went back into the kitchen to retrieve the waffles.

"I will, thank you." He said as he took a seat beside me. I was just staring at him with this look of disbelief and skepticism on my face. He just kept smiling, with his honey eyes gleaming.

"So, back to my question…what are you doing here again?" My eyes narrowed and my face continued to look suspicious, but my heart felt like it was beating so fast it would tear out of my chest. I had this funny feeling that I knew what he was going to say, and this was going to be one uncomfortable meal. Why did he have to do this to me, I used to like waffle breakfasts, but now I'm just going to associate them with this impending feeling of doom. Great.

"I'm here to meet with your parents. I believe it is only proper, since I am your bo-" I clasped my hand over his mouth in panic before he could finish. His eyes widened in surprise. Oh no, no no no no no.

"Boy those waffles sure smell delicious Mama! Heheh…heh…" I laughed awkwardly. I felt Ami's scrutinizing glare on me, I could tell she knew something was up, but I would just have to ignore it for now.

I turned back to Nagi and took my hand off his mouth.

"Hey, can I talk to you over in the other room really quick?" I asked with a forced smile, the edge of my mouth twitched a bit. Ami didn't buy it. Whatever, I needed some answers.

"Of course. Excuse me." He replied and excused himself from the table. After tucking in his chair I grabbed him by the hand and rushed him to the other room. Upon getting to the other room, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself.

"Have you told them yet?" I asked in a small voice.

"Yes, I had a talk with them earlier this morning about it. I had called your mom to ask if I would be able to come over and introduce myself properly as your boyfriend. Did I do something wrong?" he questioned. He had this look of guilt on his face.

"Should I not have said anything? I guess it is a little shameful to be in a relationship with me, isn't it? I'm so sor-" he said before I cut him off. . He closed his eyes a bit and looked away from me. He looked so ashamed, now I just felt awful.

"No no! That's not what I meant at all! Really, Nagi, I'm not ashamed. I promise." I said as I put my hand on my chest. "There you go, with that shame nonsense again, honestly." I shook my head a little; he could be so ridiculous sometimes. His face cheered up a bit.

"I'm sorry." He said with a half-smile.

"Really, you don't need to apologize either." I said and shook my head a bit and smiled. "I guess I'm just relieved is all. I don't think I would have been able to tell them myself very well. How…how did they take it?" I wondered.

"Pretty well actually. Your mother was the more accepting one though." He laughed. "She was excited, but your father, not so much. He just went into some strange form of shock mumbling something about 'my daughter's innocence' and things like that. Then he cried through the rest of our conversation, similar to what he was doing when you came down." He trailed off and moved to take a glance around the corner.

"Yeah, that sounds like Papa…how embarrassing." I chuckled. "Well, thanks for doing that."

"It's no problem, I just felt that it needed to be done." He assured me. "So do you think you are ready to go back?" he asked.

"Give me second." I said. "I need to prepare myself a bit." I said closing my eyes.

"Don't worry, it's going to be fine." He assured me and grabbed my hand. "The only one that doesn't know is Ami, but I think she has caught on." He said with a chuckle.

I couldn't help but return his chuckle with one of my own. He definitely knew how to ease my nerves. His hand tightened around mine and his eyes looked sincere. One more deep breath and I was ready.

* * *

So there we were, Nagi and I sitting on one side of the table facing Mama and Papa, and Ami on the end near Mama. Forget the waffle maker; with the heat I was generating from my cheeks, I probably could have cooked the waffles on my face.

"Boyfriend!" squealed Ami. Yeah, we get it. Thanks for making me feel even more embarrassed.

"Boyfriend…my Amu-chan…" muttered Papa.

"How wonderful. I'm so proud that you were able to find such a well-mannered boy Amu-chan." She cupped her face with her hands and smiled, then proceeded to give me a little thumbs up and a wink.

Kill me now. Please. Nagi just chuckled at her embarrassing gesture. It was hard to enjoy my waffles under these conditions, gah!

Ami ate hers with joy and made a mess like usual. The area around her mouth was covered in whip cream with a pinkish tint that had been colored by the juice from the strawberries. Papa didn't even bother to take any pictures, or even touch his waffles at that. Mama, Nagi and I just took it slow with ours.

"So do you two have any plans for today?" asked my mom curiously.

"Umm…" I turned my head to look at Nagi.

"Actually I was planning on taking Amu to my house today to talk with my parents. If that is acceptable with the both of you of course." He added. I collapsed onto the table. Was this not bad enough? Now I have to meet with his parents? I regretted waking up this morning. I was already emotionally exhausted, and we had barely finished our meal.

"Why of course, that's a wonderful idea. I believe Amu-chan should definitely see your parents today too." She said grinning.

This isn't happening. And here comes the pinch and abrupt awakening. Ouch. Did it work? I don't think it's supposed to actually hurt… I lifted my head to check if this really was reality, and it was. There was my family sitting there, along with a laughing Nagi beside me. Sigh. So off to another uncomfortable setting, eh?

"I guess I will go get ready then. Thanks for breakfast Mama. Excuse me." I said in a dead, monotone voice. I slowly dragged myself toward the stairs to get ready.

* * *

**Next chapter is just a brief meeting with Nagihiko's parents and other stuff too, so be ready!**

**As you may have already been able to tell, I sort of try to keep everyone in character, but I do admit to straying away from their usual characters at times. Like for Amu, I always make her overreact like crazy. She does that sometimes, but it's hardly this over the top. I don't know why I make her freak out so much, its kinda fun to write I guess, haha. Thanks for reading, and I will return at a later date! Ciao!**


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